The U.S. House's recent vote to ban TikTok since Oct. 7 has sparked considerable controversy, with accusations that the move is influenced by pro-Israel organizations such as AIPAC and the ADL. Critics argue that the ban is aimed at suppressing anti-Israel sentiment on the platform, noting that TikTok has been a space where criticism of Israel, particularly regarding its actions against Palestinians, has been able to circulate freely. Reports from both The Economist and The Wall Street Journal have highlighted this criticism of Israel as a significant reason behind the bipartisan support for the ban. House leader Mike Gallagher mentioned that this is why Democrats support the ban now. Additionally, there are claims that entities with deep ties to Israel are attempting to purchase TikTok, further fueling speculation about the motivations behind the ban. This situation has led to a broader discussion on the impact of social media discourse on political opinions and policies, especially concerning U.S. relations with China and Israel, and its potential effect on Joe Biden's favorability numbers.
Many of those behind the backlash against the vote that would ban TikTok in the U.S. are blaming AIPAC for lobbying for the bill in hopes of stifling anti-Israel sentiment / @Bsamuels0 https://t.co/hXs9oWuvFN
The recent censorial hysteria around "anti-Semitism" and Israel definitely accelerated the push to ban TikTok, but the Dem and GOP positions on China have also converged since 2019, creating an emergent bipartisan consensus against TikTok by early 2023 -- months before October 7 https://t.co/FjYIQ2TMdg
🇨🇳🇮🇱🚨‼️ Is the TikTok ban motivated by and aimed at Palestinian content? https://t.co/Q4b7Glwdxy
Both the WSJ and Economist state explicitly that the only reason the TikTik ban gained widespread support is the belief TikTok allows too much anti-Israel speech. The House leader for the bill, Mike Gallagher, said that's why Dems support it now. And @ADL issued this decree: https://t.co/SFkyMKektL
The rush to ban TikTok, I think, has a lot to more to do with the discourse that’s happening on there over Israel’s actions against Palestinians - and the massive impact that reality is having on Joe Biden’s favorability numbers. I have talked negatively about China on TikTok a… https://t.co/UZnbRmpLYF
"This is AIPAC at work": Landmark TikTok vote in U.S. House provokes conspiracy theory / @Bsamuels0 https://t.co/hXs9oWuvFN
Why do you think the Zionist want Tik Tok banned ? https://t.co/1vJQdbZjtb
ISRAEL IS BUYING TIKTOK The real reason for the ban! https://t.co/u39pPCU0nr
Both the Economist and the WSJ state explicitly that the main reason the TikTok ban picked up so much bipartisan steam in DC since Oct. 7 was because of how much Israel criticism was allowed to air and circulate on the platform (see below). But really! It's all about China! https://t.co/x45ll1jYDP
So uhhhh… Israel is trying to buy TikTok. Well, people with EXTREMELY deep ties to Israel are. And no one on TikTok is surprised at all. TikTok doesn’t suppress anti China content- it suppresses anti Israel content. (Hence how 🍉 came to signify Palestine- because saying the… https://t.co/MqTUhEhedi
Many of those behind the backlash against the vote that would ban TikTok in the U.S. are blaming the pro-Israel establishment for lobbying for the bill in hopes of stifling anti-Israel sentiment / @Bsamuels0 https://t.co/hXs9oWtXQf
The U.S. House's TikTok vote has provoked backlash — veering dangerously close to conspiracy theory territory — finding itself at the feet of pro-Israel organizations like AIPAC and the ADL https://t.co/GFTYMU2W6L